During a landing exercise Marines find a beaten, comatose fellow Marine on the beach; while investigating, Harm and Meg find inconsistent data. They and the company commander run into trouble, but they sort things out and set them right.

After a lightning strike an F-14 wanders into Cuban airspace, and Cuban fighters force it to land. Harm and Meg in Cuba try to negotiate a return of the aircraft and the pilot -- before anyone seizes the advanced programs from the bird.